The present exemplary embodiment relates to sampling and assay systems. It finds particular application in conjunction with the analysis of biological samples, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
Conventional slides are passive substrates on which samples are fixed and mounted for microscopy. With precision optics and specimen staining or fluorescent tagging, very high speed and high resolution images are achieved, making it possible to observe processes such as localization of cellular components and monitoring their interactions among themselves or with the outside world. Thus, there is a strong need to have active control or to speed up these processes.
On a macro scale, manipulation of cells, bacteria, or viruses are desired as it pertains to interesting applications such as bio-agent detection New development in optical trapping has made tools such as laser tweezers or scissors available for manipulation on a single cell scale. However, there are certain restrictions to the medium to which the laser is applied, and optical trapping is not easily amenable to parallel or larger scale processing. As a consequence, an improved method that allows the operator to have control over the migration of the biomolecules is highly desirable.
Electric fields can be used to move charged molecules without contact, examples being electrophoretic and electro-osmotic techniques. Such means are effective in many types of media such as aqueous or organic solutions, air/aerosol, or high-viscosity media including various types of gels. However, traditional means of using electric fields to move biomolecules (such as electrophoresis) rely on mobilizing all particles between two electrodes placed on either side of a sample, which does not allow control over individual molecules or multiple small regions within a sample slide.
The present exemplary embodiment relates to selectively controllable sample slides, methods to fabricate such slides, and methods for their use which enable interactive steering of specimens on slides viewed by biochemical imaging systems.